morris



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. HMORRIS se N-.TINe-K.

` COMBINED CARPET STRETGHER AND TACK DRIVER.

INVENTRS fl Hamilton Jlrrs Patented 001;. 30, 1883.

mmm". u. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

A. II. MORRIS VSr N. FINCK.

COMBINED CARPET STRETCHER AND TACK DRIVER.

No. 287,562. Patented ont. 30, 1883.

M. Piins murlhmgnpher. wuhingtnn. 0. t;

NITEDAA STATES.

PATENT, OFFICE.

A. HAMILTON MORRIS AND NICHOLASEINCH, OE ELIZABETH, NEw JERSEY,

- SAID FINCK ASSIGNOR To SAID MORRIS.

C OM BINEDl CARPET-STRETCHER AAND TAcK-OmvER.

SPECIFICATION rforming' part 0f LetterSPa.tent No. 287,562, dated October 30, 1883.

\ l Application filed September 4, 1883. (No niodcl.)

To all wiz/0m it may concern: Y

Be it known that we, A. HAMILTON MOR- RIS and NICHOLAS FINCK, Citizens of` the United States, and residents of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Garpet-Stretchers and Tack-Drivers, of which the following is a specia stretching-lever and a reciprocating plunger are employed in connection with a mechanical tack-holder adapted to hold the tack in position to be struck and driven by the plunger,

. as distinguished from stretchers and tackers in which the tack is held against the lower extremity of the plungerby magnetic attraction and driven directly from the plunger into the carpet. Y

The principal object of the invention is to arrange the carpet-stretching device with relation to the tack-driving mechanism in a comlpact and simple manner, and so that the tack# holding device and the plunger will be held out of the way of the carpet-graspingportion of the stretcher during the operation of the latter, but be Capable .of being conveniently and Simply brought into position forraction after the stretcher has performed its function.

To this end our invention mainly consists of a stretching-lever having a portion adapted to grasp the carpet, in combination with a reciprocating plunger anda movable tack-holdcally-movable slide acting in conjunction with a plunger, Vthe lowermost portion of said slide being normally maintained in proximity. to the upper portion of or above the carpetgrasping portion of the lever. The plunger is In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is i a side elevation, partly in section, of a carpet stretching and tacking apparatus embodying. our improvements, the parts being shownin theirv normal position with the slide and tackr holder raised above the carpet. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the parts in the position they assume y at the instant the tack is driven,y and showing the slide with `its adjuncts carried downward to the carpet. Figs. 3 and 4 are front elevations (Fig. 3 being partly in section) of the apparatus in respect ively the positions illustrated in Figsl and 2.

Similar letters `of reference appearing in different figures in the drawings indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, Avis the Inain portion of the stretching-lever, being preferablyy cylin-l drical in form, and is united to the metallic cross piece or head c. lTo this cross-piece the prongs or claws b b are secured, preferably, either by being screwed or cast therein.

Eindicates the slide, and it consists of aback, 8O

h, and sides t' t, and it is provided with the` slot f in its back, into which the pin j attached to the plunger C, projects. The plunger U terminates at its lower extremity in a tapering portion, having a flattened point, c, and it 855 is cast with or rigidly secured at its upper extremity to the tubular rod B, which we term the plunger-rod.77 The latter is provided with a knob, k, and is fitted to freely slide upon the rod A. The slide E is normally heldV 9o with its lower extremity near the upper portion of the claws bvb, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3, by means of the spiral spring s, which is supported between the upper extremity ofthe rod A and the knob K, and ,within` the tubular rod B, -to which the slide is, connected through the agencyofthepin j. By slightly altering .the relative positions of the parts the slide maybe arranged to normally rest entirely above the claws b b, if desired, but it IOO will ordinarily be found not to interfere with the operation of said claws when it is arranged to normally rest in the position shown in Figs. l and 3.. rlhe slide is adapted to loosely slide vertically between the arms e e, which are securely attached to the cross-piece .a on either side of the slide, and they embrace the inwardly-extending flanges or projections p p, (best shown in Fig. 4,) which projections form portions of the sides yizof theslide. Thelower extremity of the slide E is preferably formed into a box-like compartment, F,within which the tack-holding device may be arranged.

, The tack-holder which we prcferto employ, and which forms a part of our present invention, consists of two fiat springs, g g, brazed or otherwise secured at their upper ends to theinner portion of the sidest' i ofthe slide, as shown in Fig. 3, their free extremities being bent inward and brought together, as illustrated.

The free bent extremities of these springs are laterally curved, and form a funnel-shaped socket,which embraces a considerable portion of the body of the tack t on all of its sides, while the head of the tack rests at two points against the two jaws, respectively, as shown. It will be readily understood that by increasing the width of the springs g g the socketmay be made to inclose still more of the tack, and its circular sides may reach above the head of the tack, instead of terminating below it, as illustrated; but we have found the form which we have shown sufficient to practically hold the tack in the required vertical position. Owing to the lateral curvatures of the springs g g, whereby they are made to encircle the whole or a considerable portion ofthe tack on all of its sides, the tack may be properly held with the use of but two sections or parts to the holder, thereby considerably simplifying the construction of the latter.

For the purpose of securely holding the pl unger in its upper or quiescent position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, during the operation ofthe stretching portion of the apparatus, and at other times, we have devised the arrangement shown in these figures, and it consists of the spring U, rigidly secured at u to the rod A, and having its upper end bent at a, as shown, the angular portion thus formed being made to project outward through the slot v in the rod B. As will be readily seen, the upper portion of this spring therefore acts as a detent or stop, and prevents the rod B, with the bar C, from descending. The rod A is Vrecessed adjacent to the spring U, so as to allow the latter to be pressed inward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and into such a position as to be out of the way of the rod B, and so allow it to bemoved downward. \Vhen, how-- ever, the rod B is raised to its uppermost position, as in Fig. l, the 'spring U will automatically force itself into place and lock the rod, as will be seen. The upward movement of the rod B and bar Gis limited by the crosshead a and the upper end of the rear portion of the box F, the lower portion of the crosshead being arranged in the path of the box, as shown.

From theabove description it will be seen that the slide E normally sustains the tackholder in a position to enable the claws b-b to be freely used withoutinterference, and afterward the tack-holder may be brought downward into position for the tack to be driven by the weight of the slide wheir the plunger descends.

The operation of our improved device is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with a tack in place within the socket S, the prongs or claws b b arethrust through the carpet (the lever being held at an angle, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) and pressed against the floor, after which the instrument is raised to avertical position. The portion of the carpet adjacent to the claws b b now being in the desired position,the free extremity u of the spring U is pressed by the hand into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and a sharp blow given by the hand, or otherwise, to the knob K. The rod B and bar C are thus caused to descend, the loosely-mounted slide E moving a little in advance of the bar C, owing to its own weight and that of the box F. Immediately after this box reaches the carpet the extremity c of the bar C impinges against the head of the tack t and drives the latter through its socket, the spring- ,1 ,l So t t jaws g g being forced to separate, thus allowing the tack to pass between them. In the downward movement of the plunger and slide the box F reaches the carpet before the plunger strikes the tack, and, consequently, the pin j is caused to move downwardly through the slot f, and to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. After the tack has been driven, the operation may be repeated upon raising the plunger (consisting of the rod B and bar C) to its normal position, and substituting another tack.

While we greatly prefer to employ the form of spring-jaws which we have described to form the tack-holder, it will be understood that other appropriate means may be employed for supporting the tack without departing from the other features of our invention. It will also be understood that other means than the spring S and U may be em- IOO IlO

ployed for elevating and securing the plunger in its upper position; or one may be used without the other, or both may be dispensed with altogether, (the operation of the apparatusunderthesecontingenciesbeingobvious;) but we prefer their employment, and in substantially the form herein ,set forth.

XVe claim herein as our invention- 1. In a carpet-stretcher and tack-driver of the described class, a stretching-lever provided with means for grasping the carpet, in combination with a movable mechanical tackholder adapted to be held away from said carpet-grasping portion of the lever, but ca- 287,562 l c Y v :a

pable of being broughtinto proximity thereto.

and to the carpet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y 2. A carpet-stretching lever provided with a portion for grasping the carpet, in combination with a reciprocating plunger and amovable tack-holding device normally maintained in proximity to the upper portion of or above the carpet-grasping portion of the lever and io in the path of the plunger, said device being adapted to be brought into proper position with relation to the carpet for the tack to be driven therethrough by the plunger, substantially as set forth. I l 3. In a carpet-tacking device, a verticallymovable slide provided with means for holding a tack, in combination with means for detaching and driving said tack, substantially as Set forth. 2o 4. In a carpettacking device, the combif nation, with a reciprocating tack-driving plunger, of a slide arranged to move inV conjunction therewith, and means for suspending a tack in or upon said slide, substantially as set 2 5 forth.

5. In a carpet-tacking device, the combination,with a reciprocating tack-driving plunger of a slide arranged to move in conjunction therewith, and spring-jaws carried upon 3o said slide, their free extremities forming, when united, a socket for the tack, substantially as set forth. Y

6. In alcarpet-tacking device, the combination of the supporting frame or rod A, the

tubular plunger-rod B, mounted thereon and provided withthe bar C, the vertical1y-movV able slide E, having slot f, thepin j, projecting from the bar C into or through said slot, andthe spring-j aws g g, forming, when united, a tapering socket for the tack, substantially as 4o set forth. y v

7. In 4a carpetftacking device, the combination, with a tack-driving plunger and its support, arranged substantially as herein set forth, of a detent or stop normally projecting in the' path ofthe plunger, and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom to permit of the movement of said plunger,lsubstantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the supporting frame or rod A and tubular plunger-rod B, 50i

having slot fo, of the spring U, secured to the rod A and normally extending through said slot, substantially as and for .the purpose set forth.

9. Afunnel-shaped tack-holding socket for a l carpet-tacking apparatus, consistingof the two springs g g, having their free extremities bent and brought together to form separable jaws, said jaws being laterally curved to encircle the whole or a considerable portion of the 6o tack, substantially as shown and described.

Signed by us this 3d day of September, A. I). 1883.

f A. HAMILTON MORRIS. NICHOLAS FI N OK. Vitnesses MILLER O. EARL, OHARLEs A. TERRY. 

